Bringing a Door Back from the Abyss in Logan Square
Restore Rather than Replace Historic Doors
Restoring a Historic Entryway with Care
This is the entryway to a house with a historic facade easement which required the architect to either restore it or replace it with an exact reproduction. Given the costliness of reproducing such a complex entryway, he contacted Oak Brothers to ask if we could restore the existing door.
The list of problems was extensive:
- Broken and missing muntins. (Muntins are the wood moldings that separate the frame into smaller divisions within a window sash or door frame.)
- Broken and scratched glass.
- Delaminated veneer.
- Missing hardware.
- Door misalignment.
- Loose and broken mortise-and-tenon joints.
- Multiple problems with the patina, requiring complex stripping, bleaching, and finishing procedures.
- Rotted wood where a kickplate had once been installed.
- A warp in the door that could not be removed, requiring door jamb and hardware adjustments to enable operability, weather-sealing, and secure closure.
Before
After
Both the architect and the homeowner were astonished by the results. A new door of similar detail would not only have been astronomically expensive but would also have been made from inferior materials. And it wouldn’t have preserved the architectural integrity that was maintained by restoring the existing door.
Restore the Architectural Appeal of Your Doors
We use the highest quality materials on the market that are appropriate to the age of your building and doors. We integrate both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the door restoration process so that your doors are both welcoming and secure while simultaneously contributing to the architectural integrity of your historic building. And we offer enhancements that can turn drab doorways into grand entranceways!